Engine.



Patented Nov. l2, mm. H. .1. BELL.

E N 6 l N E.

(Application filed Feb, 9, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

W[TNESSES INVENTOR.

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No. 686,686. P 'atent ed Nov. l2; I901.

, H. .1. .B L ELL.

ENGINE.

' Application filed Feb. 9, I900.)

-(No Model.) 1 4 Shaets$heot 3.

i l I795 WITNESSES Pa'tented Nov. l2, |90|.. H. J. BELL.

ENGINE. [Application fiIedIeb 9, 1900.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD J. BELL, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES WHEELER ANDMARY MONROE BELL, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ENGINE.

S C IC TION forming 3m of Letters Patent No. 686,686, dated November 12,1901.

Application filed February 9, 1900. Serial No. 4,674. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, HAROLD J. BELL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing atDenver,in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DiskEngines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains-to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in disk engines adapted to beoperated by steam, air, or other expansive fluid.

My object is to provide an engine or motor in which the maximumefficiency is attained at a minimum cost of operation and which shall beof simple and compact construction; and to these ends the inventionconsists of the features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed, all of which will be fully understood byreferen'ce to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated anembodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a Vertical lon- -gitudinal section takenthrough my improved engine. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same,cutting the disk circumferentially through the peripheral packing-ring.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the disk, the cranks, and crank-shafts.Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the engine, showing one of thecrank-shafts in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the disk shownin elevation with its spindle removed. Fig. 6 is a section taken throughthe same. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail View of the throttle-valve.Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are sectional views taken through the throttlevalveand easing, the valve being shown in three different positions. Figs. 11and 12 illustrate, in elevation and section, respectively, one of theplates which engage the disk-bearings. bearing for the disk, shown inelevation and section, respectively. Figs. 15 and 16 illusirate, insection and elevation, respectively, one of the ends or heads of thecylinder, shown in detail. Figs. 17 and 18 show the disk in section andelevation, respectively, another inder-chamber.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate a form of bearing for the diaphragm orabutment being illustrated.

The same reference characters designate the same parts in all the views.

The numeral 5 designates a suitable form of base or platform uponwhich'are mounted the cylinder 6 and the uprights 7, forming thebearings for the outer extremities of the crank-shafts 8. Beyond thebearings the shafts are equipped with pulleys 9. As shown in thedrawings, the cylinder is composed of two parts 6 and 6, securedtogether by bolts 10, passed through'engaging flanges formed in therespective parts. Formed integral with the lower half of the cylinder isa short vertioal column 6, which is secured to the base by bolts 12.This column forms the casing of the throttle-valve 13, located withinthe chamber 14. The stem 15 of the valve passes through a stuifing-box16, secured to one side of the casing. This valve-stem protrudes fromthe stnfling-box, its outer extremity being equipped with a crank-arm17, which is connected by means of a link 18 with a lever 19, fulcrumedon the base at 20 and located adjacent a toothed segment 21'. Theextremity of the valve chamber opposite the valve-stem stuffing-box isprovided with a hollow extension-cap 28, communicating with a pipe 24,leading from a source of steam or other fluid employed in the operationof the engine. The bottom of the valve-chamberis provided with a port22, communicating with an exhaust-pipe 24:. Two ducts or passages,respectively designated by the numerals 25 and 26, connect thevalve-chamber with the cyl- These ducts are adapted to communicate attheir lower extremities with the lower part A or the upper part B of thevalve-chamber (according as they carry the exhaust or live steam) and attheir upper extremities with the bottom of the cylinder on oppositesides of the diaphragm or abutment 27. The fluid may enter the cylinderby way of either of the passages 25 26, or it may be entirely cut offfrom both, according to the position of the valve 13. When the fluidenters by way of one passage, it exhausts by way of the other passage.The fluid as it leaves the pipe 2i on its way to the cylinder-portenters the space B above the valve and passes thence into the duct 26,it

the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 8,

or into the duct 25, if the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 10.

The direction of the crank-shafts rotation is controlled by the movementof the valve. If the fluid enters the cylinder by way of the duct 25,the rotation of said shafts will be in the direction opposite that whichoccurs when the fluid enters the cylinder by way of the duct 26.

The extremities of both ducts where they enter the cylinder-chamberextend the entire width of said chamber. The cylinder is provided withends or heads 29, which are secured to the body of the cylinder by bolts30. (See Fig. 4.) The inner surfaces of the heads 29 are cone-shaped.Vithin the cylinderchamber, between the two heads, is located the disk31, which forms the piston of the cylinder. In a circumferential grooveformed in the periphery of the disk is located a spring packing-ring 33,which engages the curved inner surface of the cylinder, forming asteamtight joint. The central portion of the disk is spherical andengages bearings 34, whose inner surfaces are of counterpart shape, asshown at 31. These disk-bearing parts 31 are surrounded by thecylinder-heads,which are provided with central openings in which thesaid bearings are located. These bearings are provided with conicalopenings 3t, which register with openings 35, formed in the plates 35,which engage the bearings exteriorly and hold them in place. The plates,35 are in turn held in place by bolts 36, which pass through crank-boxes37, secured to the cylinder-heads by bolts 38. The outer extremities ofthe bolts 36 protrude from the crankboxes and are shaped to receiveawrench for purposes of adjustment. The inner extremities of these boltspass through openings 35, formed in the plates 35, and finally enterthreaded sockets 29, formed in the heads 29. These bolts are providedwith collars 36, which engage the plates 35 exteriorly and hold them inplace. Byturning the bolts in the one direction or the other, accordingas it is necessary to tighten or loosen the two bearings 34, the lattermay be adjusted as desired from the outside. To accomplish this, it isonly necessary to remove the screw-caps 38, which normally conceal theexternal extremities of the bolts. Then by applying a wrench to the boltends the aforesaid adjustment may be quickly and easily accomplished.

A spindle 39 passes through a central opening 31, formed in thespherical part of the disk which is fast on the spindle. The extremitiesof this spindle pass through the conical registering openings 3t and 35,formed in the bearings 31 and the plates 35, respectively. Theextremities of the spindle are respectively journaled in cranks 40, madefast to the inner extremities of the two shafts 8, which pass throughstuffing-boxes 41 of the crank-boxes 37. The disk 31 occupies aninclined position,forming oblique angles,with

a vertical plane passed through the center of the cylinder and cuttingits walls circumferentially. The opposite sides of the disk engage thetwo cylinder-heads 29 on two radial lines located diametrically oppositeeach other in the cylinder-chamber and referred to in this specificationas contact-lines.

The cylinder-diaphragm 27, located between the two ducts 25 and 26, asaforesaid, bears against the spherical surface of the disk, which it iscurved to fit. The disk is slotted at 31 to receive the diaphragm whichprevents the rotation of the disk. The disk is provided withantifrictional bearings 43, mounted in recesses 31 formed on oppositesides of slot 31. These bearings engage the diaphragm on opposite sidesduring the disks movement.

The disk does not rotate, but has a gymtory movement within thecylinder-chamber, whereby its spindle extremities describe circles androtate the crank-shafts through the instrumentality of cranks 40, inwhich the spindle extremities are journaled, as hereinbefore described.By virtue of the position of the disk its spindle extremitiesrespectively engage the two cranks on opposite sides of the shafts 8,which are simultaneously and uniformly rotated by the disk. Each crank40 is secured to the inner extremity of its crank-shaft 8 and projectsequally on opposite sides of the shaft. The crank has twobearing-sockets 40, one being, formed in each projection of the crank.When one of these sockets is in use, the other may be filled withBabbitt metal, whereby the crank is balanced when the spindle extremityis in position. \Vhen one socket becomes worn, the other may be used byremoving the Babbitt metal and inserting the spindle-journal.

Instead of the antifrictional rollers 43 a single roller44 (see Figs. 17and 18) may be journaled in the disk and slotted, as shown at 44, to fitover the diaphragm. In the operation of the engine the throttle-valve isturned to admit the steam or other fluid to the cylinder-chamber on theone side or the other of the diaphragm 27, as may be desired. Assumingthat the disk is in the position shown in Fig. 1, there is a continuouschamber-compartment on the right-hand side of the disk extending fromone side of the diaphragm to the other, said chamber increasing in widthfrom zero at the diaphragm to the top of the cylinder, where it attainsits maximum width. On the opposite or lefthand side of the disk twochamber-compartments are formed, the width of each being zero at the topof the chamber, but gradually increasing in width toward the diaphragm,where the maximum width of each is attained. The large chamber on theright of the disk is full of steam, (if this is the fluid employed) butboth the induction and exhaust ports are closed. On the opposite side ofthe disk, however, the induction-port is open to one of the twochambers, (which are equal in volume,) while the exhaust-port is open tothe other chamber. In the large chamber on the right the pressure on theentire surface of the disk is equal, and if the exhaust-port was closedto confine the steam in the one twin chamber on the left while the steamis entering the other twin chamber there could be no movement of thedisk, as the pressure on both sides would be equal; but since the onetwin chamber is open to permit exhaust the balance or equilibrium ofpressure is destroyed and the disk begins to gyrate, tipping, so tospeak, toward or into the exhaust-chamber andicausingthe radialcontact-line between the disk and the conical head 29 on the left totravel downwardly, diminishing the size of the exhaustchamber andincreasing the volume of the live-steam chamber until theradialcontactline reaches the diaphragm, when the exhaust-chamber on theleft is reduced in volume to zero and the previously-divided compartmentbecomes a continuous compartment from one side of the diaphragm aroundthe cylinder to the other side of the diaphragm, the extremities of thesaid chamber at the diaphragm being zero in width, the chambervattaining its maximum width at the center or top of the cylinder, stillreferring to Fig. 1-, which, it will be remembered, is a section cutthrough the center of the cylinder from top to bottom. In the meantimethe radial contact-line on the right-hand side of the disk travelsupwardly from the diaphragm on the inlet-port side of the diaphragm,forming the space on the right-hand side of the disk into twocompartments, the smaller being in communication with the live steamfrom the inlet-port and the larger in communication with theexhaust-port. of the live-steam chamber increases until the radialcontact-line reaches the top of the cylinder, when the compartments areequal. The disk has now made a one-half gyration and is in a positionthe reverse of that shown in Fig. 1, the large chamber being on the leftof the diskand cut off from the-induction and exhaust ports, while thetwin chambers are on the right of the disk, both increasing in widthfrom the radial line of contact at the top downwardly to the diaphragm,one of the.

chambers being open to the live steam and the other communicating withthe outlet or exhaust port of the cylinder-chamber. Hence, as beforeexplained, the equilibrium of pressure will be destroyed by the exhaustfrom the one twin chamber and the gyration of the disk will continue theone radial line of contact-namely, that on the right of thedisk-traveling downwardly in the exhaustchamber, whose volume diminishesuntil the radial contact-line reaches the diaphragm, when theexhaust-chamber on the right becomes zero in volume, the two twinchambers being merged into a continuous chamber, which is cut off fromthe two ports. In the meantime the other radial line of contact- Thesize namely, that on the left of the disktravels upwardly from thediaphragm on the steaminlet side of the latter, dividing the continuouschamberinto two unequal chambers, the smaller being on the inlet sideand in comm unication with the live steam, while the larger is incommunication with the exhaust-port. As soon as the radial contact-linetraveling upwardly on the left side of the disk, as aforesaid, reachesthe top of the cylinder the space on the leftof the disk is againdivided into two chambers equalin volume, one being open to theinlet-port and the other being open to the exhaust-port of the cylinder.The disk has now made one complete gyration, being again in the positionshown in Fig. 1, and the operation is repeated as long as the cylinderis supplied with fluid. 7

In further explanation of the operation of the engine it may be stated(assuming that the disk is in the position shown in Fig. 1) that thereare two-wedge-shaped chambers of equal volume on theleft-hand side ofthe disk, the bases 'of the wedges being on the opposite sidesof thediaphragm and their apexes meeting at the radial central line-at the topof the cylinder and on the left of the disk. As the steam enters at thebase of one of these chambers the base of'the other is open to theexhaust-port. The steam entering the one chamber crowds itself betweenthe disk and the conical wall of the cylinder-head and moves the disk,causing the apex of the chamber to travel'in front of it until the saidapex has moved downwardly to the diaphragm, forming a chamber having theshape of two curved wedges whose bases are in contact at the top of thecylinder and whose apexes are located on opposite sides of thediaphragm. In other words, the gyratory movement may be said to beimparted to the disk by a steamwedge, whose splitting action .isconstantly separating the disk and cylinder-head on a contact-line whichis the apex of the wedge. As the disk gyrates in the manner heretoforeexplained the extremities of its spindle travel in circles and rotatethe crank-shafts. .The reverse movement may at any time be imparted tothe shafts by shiftingthe throttle- Valve to allow the fluid to enterthe cylinder on the opposite side of the diaphragm. When the steam isentering the cylinder by one of the passages 25 26, it exhausts throughthe other passage, entering the top portion of the valve-chamber andpassing thence out of one end of the valve-chamber into theexhaustoonduit 24.

In Fig. 11 of the drawings two sets of openings are shown in the plate35 and designated as 35 and 35 respectively The openings 35 areunthreaded to permit the passage of the adjusting-bolts 36. In case itis not'desired to use these bolts ordinary bolts may be inserted in thethreaded openings. 35 and the plates secured to the heads of thecylinder in this manner. v

The cylinder-heads 29 should be grooved,

as shown at 29 to receive the extremities of the diaphragm 27. Thefunction of these grooves is to facilitate the forming of steamtightjoints between the diaphragm and the heads of the cylinder.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is 1. The combination ofa cylinderprovided with concave bearings located in openings formed inthe cylinder-heads, plates engaging said bearings exteriorly,adjusting-bolts passed through openings formed in the plates andentering threaded sockets formed in the cylinder-heads, the bolts beingprovided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratory disk located inthe cylinder and engaging the end bearings, a spindle passed through thedisk at right angles to the plane of gyration, cranks on which thespindle extremities are journaled, and shafts to which the cranks aremade fast.

2. The combination of acylinder provided with concave bearings locatedin openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging said bearingsexteriorly, adjusting-bolts passed through openings formed in the platesand entering threaded sockets formed in the cylinder-heads, the boltsbeing provided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratory disk locatedin the cylinder and engaging the end bearings, a spindle passed throughthe disk at right angles to the plane of gyration, cranks on which thespindle extremities are journaled, and shafts to which the cranks aremade fast, each crank projecting equally on opposite sides of the shaftand having two spindle-bearings.

3. The combination of a cylinder provided with concave bearings locatedin openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging said bearingsexteriorly, adjusting-bolts passed through openings formed in the platesand entering threaded sockets formed in the cylinder-heads, the boltsbeing provided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratory disk locatedin the cylinder and engaging end bearings, a spindle attached to thecenter of the disk at right angles to the plane of gyration, a shaft, acrank fast on the shaft, projecting therefrom equally in both directionsand provided with two bearings either of which is adapted to receive thespindle extremity.

4. The combination of a cylinder provided with concave bearings locatedin openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging said bearingsexterlorly, adjusting-bolts passed through openings formed in the platesand entering threaded sockets formed in the cylinder-heads, the boltsbeing provided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratory disk locatedin the cylinder and engaging end bearings, a spindle attached to thecenter of the disk at right angles to the plane of gyration, a shaft, acrank fast on the shaft, projecting therefrom equally in both directionsand provided with two bearings either of which is adapted to receive thespindle extremity, the

unused bearing openings being normally filled with a soft metal tobalance the crank.

5. The combination of a cylinder, a disk located therein and occupyingan inclined position, provision being made to prevent rotation andpermitting a gyratory movement of the disk, a spindle passed through thedisk at right angles to the plane of gyration, shafts whose axes are inline with the center of circles described by the spindle of the gyratorydisk, and cranks in which the spindle extremities are journaled, eachcrank projecting equally on opposite sides of the shaft and providedwith two spindle-sockets, one of which is filled with a removable metalto balance the crank while the other opening is in use.

6. The combination of a cylinder provided with concave bearings locatedin openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging said bearingsexteriorly, adjusting-bolts passed through openings formed in the platesand entering threaded sockets formed in the cylinder-heads, the boltsbeing provided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratory disk locatedin the cylinder and engaging the end bearings, and a spindle passedthrough the disk at right angles to the plane of gyration.

7. The combination of acylinder provided with concave end bearingslocated in openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging saidbearings exteriorly, boxes attached to the cylinder-heads andsurrounding said plates, adj UStiHg-bOltS passing through the boxes andopenings in the plates and entering threaded sockets in thecylinder-heads, the bolts being provided with stop-collars engaging theplates, a gyratory disk located in the cylinder and having a sphericalcentral portion engaging said end bearings, and a spindle passed throughthe disk at right angles to the plane of gyration, its extremitiesprojecting into the chambers inclosed by said boxes.

8. The combination of a cylinder provided with concave end bearingslocated in openings formed in the cylinder-heads, plates engaging saidheads, boxes attached to the cylinder-heads and surrounding said plates,adjusting-bolts passing through the boxes and openings in the plates andentering threaded sockets in the cylinder-heads, the bolts beingprovided with collars engaging the plates, a gyratorydisklocated in thecylinder and having a spherical central portion engaging said endbearing, a spindle passed through the disk at right angles to its planeof gyration, its extremities projecting into the chambers inclosed bythe said boxes, shafts journaled in the boxes and provided with cranksin which the spindle extremities are journaled.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD J. BELL.

Witnesses:

GRACE MYTINGER, A. J. OBRIEN.

